It may only be pre-season, but tensions were heightened during last night’s clash between reigning champions the Sydney Kings and former champions the Illawarra Hawks, with a slippery court becoming the focal point of a game that never made it to halftime.
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It was the first pre-season game for either team against NBL opposition, with both clubs having recently faced St Mary’s College as part of the US college program’s tour of Australia.
For fans packed into the Snakepit, the game offered a first look at several new faces.
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The Hawks unveiled new signing Milton Doyle alongside the likes of Tyler Harvey, Darius Days and Will Hickey, while Sydney debuted Andrew Carr and Will Johnston, although the latter will remember his first appearance for reasons beyond basketball.
After a physical opening quarter in which both sides struggled to find their shooting rhythm, the Kings held an 18-11 advantage.
The Hawks began to settle into the contest during the second quarter, but with around three minutes remaining in the half, concerns over the playing surface quickly took over.
Kings duo Will Johnston and Tyler Robertson both lost their footing and slipped, with both incidents occurring on court decals.
Johnston’s slip prompted Kings assistant coach Andrew Bogut to wave over a court cleaner, concerned about the wet patch. Moments later, Robertson also slipped, sparking an uproar from the Sydney bench.
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Xavier Cooks, who was on the bench, appeared particularly frustrated as concerns around the playing surface continued to grow.
Brian Goorjian called a time-out, with players, coaches and officials discussing the conditions before both sides came to the conclusion that the game should be stopped due to concerns for player safety.
Players from both teams shook hands as the decision was made, before a wave of boos rang around the Snakepit from fans disappointed to see a physical rivalry, albeit in the pre-season, brought to an early end.
Fans also vented their frustration on social media following the cancellation, but with player safety taking priority, the incident again raised questions around the conditions inside a venue that is more than six decades old and without air-conditioning.
The Snakepit was built in 1965 and has been synonymous with basketball in the Illawarra region for decades, while continuing to serve as the Hawks’ training base.
Without airconditioning, however, rain and high humidity can create difficult conditions inside the venue and increase the risk of moisture developing on the playing surface.
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It isn’t the first time poor court conditions have brought a game involving the two clubs to a premature end.
In 2018, Andrew Bogut, then playing for the Kings, publicly apologised to fans at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre after a game was called off before tip-off.
Bogut said condensation had left the court like an ‘ice rink’, ultimately resulting in the game being cancelled due to safety concerns.
Both sides will now turn their attention towards the NBL Blitz in Bendigo as they shake off an unusual night at the Snakepit, with the most important outcome being that no player was seriously injured.